Is it possible to build a learning community in a highly competitive secondary school environment?

This dissertation describes the attempt made to foster the collaborative learning methods essential for building a learning community during the course of one academic year with a group of top set Year 10 boys. It notes the benefits of making learning high profile, developing the habit of reflecting on learning and nurturing a collaborative style of working. It finds that many students came to value the ethos of learning as a community, as opposed to working individually and competitively, and that the learning community was helping them to become more effective learners.